Bicycle-handle



(No Model.)

H. A. OHRISTY.

v BICYCLE HANDLE. No. 583,457. Patented June 1, 1897.

I V/TNEseEs: J/v VE/V TOR.

UNITED STATES ATENT 'FFICE.

HENRY A. CHRISTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BICYCLE-HAN DLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,457, dated June 1, 1897.

Application filed June 20, 1896. Serial No. 596,285. (No model.)

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CHRISTY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bicycle-Handles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical construct-ion of handles which, while it serves every purpose attained by the handles as ordinarily constructed, will also prevent the transmission from the machine to the riders hands of much of the very objectionable jarring or trembling necessarily caused in machines where the handles are rigid with the steering-post. To this end instead of making the handles or grips rigid with the handle-bar I unite them to the bar by a flexible joint, preferably in the form of a coiled spring having its ends secured one in the bar and the other in the grip. This flexible joint is located a short distance within the grip, so that the latter may be extended over and cover it and thus prevent any danger of the fingers or flesh being caught between the abutting ends of the bar and the handle.

The nature of the invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a handlebar provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the handles.

In said drawings, A represents the handlebar, and B B the handles or grips, the latter, in respects other than those pertaining to this invention, being of any ordinary construction. Instead of continuing the handle-bar through the grip in the usual manner I cut it off at the inner end of the grip, as plainly shown, and insert a separate piece or core of tubing 0 inside the grip. This tubing does not extend far enough to come in contact with the handle-bar, but, on the contrary, an open space a is left between them.

The grip is secured to the handle-bar by a spring connection, preferably in the form of a coiled spring D, one end of which is secured in the bar and the other in the tube C, so that the spring bridges the joint between the two. This spring should have sufficient strength to enable the rider to steer his wheel under ordinary circumstances without much flexure of the spring, but it should not be so stiff as to prevent its absorbing the jarring or trembling motion to which the handle-bar is subject. If the spring is suitable to be used in this place, it will relieve the rider of a great deal of the objectionable jarring to which the hands are subject in prior constructions.

In order that the riders fingers or flesh may not be caught in the spring or between the bar and the handle, I extend the grip inward so that it covers the opening 0 as plainly indicated.

I deem the coil-spring D to make the best form of connection between the grip and the handle, because it permits movement of the handles in any direction, yet obviously other flexible connections may be substituted therefor.

My invention does not affect the rigidity of the handle-bar, and interposes no obstacle in the way of the rider moving his hands from the grips to the bar, should that be necessary or desirable at any time. It also permits the use of grips differing from those now generally used in no respect except that they are provided with cores made separate from the handle-bar, and the springs are wholly concealed within the bar and grips.

1. The ,combination of a handle-bar and grip united by a spring and having an open space 0 between the bar and the core of the grip, the grip being extended to cover said open space, substantially as specified.

2. The handle-bar having grips of the ordinary construction flexibly attached to and supported from it by coiled springs concealed within the grips and bar, substantially as specified.

HENRY A. CHRISTY. Witnesses:

Enw. S. EVARTS', H. M. MUNDAY. 

